The Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final at the KSCA Hubballi Cricket Ground has ended in a draw. For the first time in history, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has done the unthinkable. After posting a monumental 584 and bowling Karnataka out for 293, J&K effectively pushed the eight-time champions into a corner. And then never let them comeback, winning the trophy eventually on February 28 (Saturday).
Even as Qamran Iqbal (160)* hit a historic century on Day 5, a draw looked like the most certain outcome. But in a Ranji final, a draw doesn’t mean a shared trophy.
The Deciding Factor: First-Innings Lead
In the Ranji Trophy final, the rules are clear: if the match ends in a draw after five days, the team with the First-Innings Lead is declared the champion.
J&K’s Advantage: By bowling Karnataka out for 293, J&K had secured a 291-run first-innings lead.
The Verdict: This lead acted as the ultimate tie-breaker. Even as J&K batted through Day 5 and the match ended in a stalemate, Jammu & Kashmir have been crowned Ranji Trophy champions for the first time ever.
The Role of Auqib Nabi
The hero of this “virtual” victory is pacer Auqib Nabi. His clinical 5/54—which included the prized scalp of a defiant Mayank Agarwal (160)—ensured J&K didn’t just take the lead, but dominated it. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has already signaled that Nabi’s performance should earn him a spot for the national tour of England this summer.
Why Karnataka Couldn’t Win?
To win from being 291 runs short in the first innings, Karnataka needed to achieve an outright victory. They would have needed to bowl J&K out immediately and chase a target. J&K remained only four down so getting them all-out in the first place was not possible. In the history of the Ranji Trophy, such a final-day turnaround against a 291-run deficit had never occurred. And it did not do so today as well, resulting in loss for Karnataka.